India, Japan and US navies kick off 2016 Malabar Exercise near South China Sea

India, Japan and United States (US) navies have kicked off 2016 MALABAR trilateral naval Exercise near South China Sea.

This year it is the 20th edition of the naval exercise.

Background

Since 1992, Indian and US navies have regularly conducted the annual bilateral exercise. Since 2007, Malabar has been held alternatively off India and in the Western Pacific. In 2015, it was conducted off Chennai coast in Bay of Bengal and included participation of Japan making it trilateral naval exercise.